King’s Cross Square: are we there yet?

BACK in September, all the right dignitaries made sure they were outside the front of King’s Cross Station for the opening of the new piazza, which has replaced the green corrugated cardboard (that’s what it looked like) facade we had known for so long. Boris Johnson and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin (pictured above) spoke triumphantly that day, while important local Labour people made sure their own stake in the scheme over the years was not forgotten. This celebration had been trailed with a poster campaign about London’s new square and Boris had even been there 50 days earlier just to mark the fact that it was 50 days until the square opened. The launch made splendid headlines in the national newspapers. The transformation was complete.

Reading the reports of the human statues suddenly dancing to life and the politicians’ grins that day, it all clangs, just a little, from the sight I see whenever I head down that way for evening council meetings. Take Monday night (right): green mesh nets section off parts of the open space we want to run around in.

As wonderful as the transformation is (will be), it makes you wonder if Boris and Co jumped the gun with the parping victory parade.